Aiming to ensure that cheap and quality healthcare was available to people at their doorstep across Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials to resume Jan Arogya Mela (Public Health Fair) at the earliest.

These health fairs were launched by the state government in 2020, but discontinued midway due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. But before being suspended, the state government had managed to hold seven such fairs at primary and community health centres every Sunday and it benefitted 30 lakh people.

“Now that the second wave of COVID-19 is on the wane in the state due to the effective policy of Trace, Test, and Treat, the chief minister has decided to restart the health fairs in the larger interest of people. Departmental officers have been instructed to prepare an action plan and Jan Arogya Melas are expected to resume with Covid protocol in place,” a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

The spokesman further said that the Health department would be the nodal agency for this campaign and the other departments concerned would cooperate as before.

“The event will not only provide health benefits to people but will also become a platform to make them aware of various viral diseases, hazards of open defecation, as well as diseases caused by dirt and polluted water,” he said.

Besides offering health services to the people, the Jan Arogya Melas would also provide information about programmes like family welfare, nutrition and health awareness, Ayushman card, Mission Indradhanush, Khushal Parivar Divas and Motherhood Vandana Diwas.

The state government has already provided Golden Cards to over 2.46 lakh people of Uttar Pradesh, through which any beneficiary can avail free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in any empanelled hospital across the country.